It was just last month when 63-year-old Fernando Valenzuela, the beloved Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who sparked Fernandomania, died from a mysterious illness.
A newly published copy of his death certificate dispels much of the mystery: According to that document, Valenzuela’s underlying cause of death was possibly related to a liver disease and liver failure.
The certificate, first reported by TMZ, listed septic shock, decompensated alcoholic cirrhosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis as underlying causes. The certificate also suggest that Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease may also have contributed to his death. A rare and lethal brain disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob causes changes in brain tissue and affects muscle coordination and memory, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
The latest details come three weeks after Valenzuela’s death and days after a public funeral Mass was held for him at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles.
Since his death on Oct. 22, Dodgers fans have been celebrating the life of the legendary pitcher who meant so much to Angelenos, especially in the Latino community.
An informal memorial was created outside Dodger Stadium after his death was announced. Dodgers fans placed blue-and-white floral arrangements and propped up his No. 34 jersey in front of the stadium. The Dodgers, who retired his number last year, honored his memory before Game 1 of the World Series three days after he died.
A mural honoring Valenzuela was recently unveiled in Boyle Heights. The massive wall painting by Robert Vargas offers three different views of the pitcher, including one of his unique high kick and heavenward gaze during his wind-up.
